Waterxregulator f for boilers



(No Model U. S. ARCHER. WATER REGULATOR FOR BOILERS.

Patented June 15 I WITJV ESSES n4: wmm PETERS co., moroumc. \VASNINGTUN.o. r

'inder, having a stem or piston-rod extending UEiTEn STATES PATENTQFFTCEQ ULYSSES S. ARCHER, OF LENOIR CITY, TENNESSEE.

WATER-REGULATOR FOR BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,535, dated June 15,1897. Application filed May 6, 1896. E'erial No. 590,433. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYssEs S. ARCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lenoir City, in the county of London and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tater-Regulatorsfor Boilers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to water-regulators for steam-boilers, the objectof the same bein g to provide automatic mechanism whereby an even andpredetermined quantity of water is kept in the boiler at all times.

The invention consists of a steam-boiler, a water reservoir or cylinderlocated in close relation therewith, having pipes connecting the upperand lower ends thereof with said boiler, a float or follow-head in saidreservoir or cylupwardl y therefrom and provided with a series of racksthereon, a steam pipe leading from said boiler, and branches in saidpipes having valves therein whose stems are provided with pinionsengaging the teeth on said rack, said branch pipes leading to a pump orto an inspirator or injector connected with the under side of the boilerfor forcing the water thereto.

It also consists in other details of construction and combinations ofparts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a front elevation of a boiler with my improvementsshown applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, showing theupper end of the boiler with the parts removed.

Like referei'ice-numerals indicate like parts in both views.

The boiler 1 is of ordinary form of construction and has a pipe 2leading from the lower side thereof to the bottom of a reservoir orchamber 3, which is also connected by a steampipe 4:, leading from theupper end of said reservoir and entering the boiler through the upperend of the latter. On the side of the reservoir 3 is a water-gage 5, ofordinary c011- struction, and on the inside of said reservoir 3 is afloat or follow-head 6, resting upon the surface of the water therein,provided with a stem 7, extending upwardly therefrom through a suitablestuffing-box in the top of the reservoir and connected to one arm of alever 8, which is fulcrumed in a stationary part of the framework andconnected at its outer end to a rack-bar 9, having a series of racksthereon. The upper end of the rackbar 9 has connected to it a cord 10,with a balance-weight 11 upon its outer end and passing around a sheaveor pulley 12, secured to a stationary part of the framework.

In Fig. 1 the invention is illustrated in connection with a pump whichis adapted to force water into the boiler when the same is actuated. Inthis figure a steam-pipe 13 leads from the upper part of the boiler 1 inclose relation to the rack-bar 9 and is provided with a valve 14, whosestem has a pinion 15 thereon, which engages the rack-teeth on therack-bar 9. The said pipe 13 leads downwardly and connects with the pump16, as clearly shown. I also provide an emergency Water-tank 16, havinga pipe 17 leading downwardly therefrom to'the in side of the furnace.This pipe 17 is provided with a valve 18 therein, whose stem has apinion 19 thereon, which is adapted to engage the rack-teeth 20 on therack-bar 9.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the upward ordownward movement of the rack 9 will cause a rotation of the pinions inengagement therewith. The pinion 15 of thevalve 14 is so adjustedrelative to the rack-bar 9 that an upward movement of said rack-bar,caused by a dropping of the float or follow-head 6, will turn saidpinion and open the valve 14 when the water in the boiler falls to acertain level. The pinion 19 is adapted to b e turned by the rack 20only when the device fails to operate to open the valve 14:. This isdone when the water in the boiler 1 falls to a point near the bottomthereof and there is danger of an explosion of said boiler. Upon theopening of the valve 19 the water from the tank 16 flows through thepipe 17 and extinguishes the fire in the furnace.

The operation of the device is as follows, it being the purpose, we willsuppose, to keep the water in the boiler 1 at the level in which it isshown in Fig. 1: The steam is always in the pipe 13, and when thesurface of the water in the boiler 1 and in the reservoir 3 falls byusage the float 6 in said reservoir 3 is carried by it. The downwardmovement of this float or follow-head causes an upward movement to beimparted to the rack 97 by the means described. Just after this has beendone the valve 14 in the pipe 13 is opened as described, and the steamis'admitted from the boiler 1, through the pipe 13, to the pump 16. Theadmission of the steam to the pump 16 actuates the latter and water isforced by it, through the pipe 21, to the inside of the boiler 1,raising it to the required level. Then this is reached, the float orfollow-head 6 is in its normal position, the rack-bar 9 is lowered, andthe valve 14, whose stem 15 engages said rack-bar, is closed. Asheretofore stated, if for any reason the rack-bar 9 fails to turn thepinion to admit the steam to the pump 16 the rack 20 on the rack-bar 0will open the valve 18 and admit water from the tank 16 to the furnace.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my invention as applied to an inspirator orinjector. In this case the pump 16 and the pipe leading thereinto aredispensed with and instead branch pipes 22 23 are used in connectionwith the main steam-pipe 13, the pipe 22 leading to a cylinder 24 andthe pipe 23 to an inspirator or injector 25. The rack-bar 9 in this caseis also provided with sections of rack-teeth in the pipe 23, leading tothe inspirator 25,

just in advance of the opening of the valve in the pipe 22, leading tothe cylinder 24, this being for the purpose of permitting the flow Astheis turned, steam is admitted from the boiler 1, through-pipe 13 andbranch pipe 22, to cylinder 24, forcing the piston 32 in said cylinderoutwardly and operating the lever 34 of the inspirator or injector 25,forcing the water to the inside of the boiler 1. When the Water rises tothe proper level, a reverse operation to that described takes place andthe steam is cut off from said cylinder 24 and the inspirator orinjector 25.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In an automatic water-regulator for steamboilers, the combination withaboiler, a pump for supplying water thereto and a water-tank having apipe leading therefrom to the furnace of said boiler, of a mainsteam-supply pipe leading from said boiler, a branch pipe connected tosaid main pipe and leading to said pump, a valve in said branch pipe, apinion upon the outer end of said valve, a valve in the pipe leadingfrom said reservoir, a pinion upon the outer end thereof, a reservoir orcylinder in communication with said boiler, a float or follow-headresting upon the surface of the water in said reservoir, a rackconnected to the stem of said float, the said rack being provided withsections of teeth adapted to engage respectively the pinions on thevalve-stems of said valves at different positions of said rack-bar,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ULYSSES S. ARCHER. Witnesses:

PAUL PRUAN, JULIUs SHULL.

